


Confused Emotions

by KillingPerfectionsLover



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillingPerfectionsLover/pseuds/KillingPerfectionsLover
Summary: Begins 4 years post the Vampire Knight story. When all you've known is a shitty life, and then being saved by the one thing you detest the most, it's kind of hard to break that loyalty. For Kagome, Shizuka and Ichiru were her world, even with their rocky beginnings. So to meet Cross Academy, and Ichiru's crap older brother, Kagome begins to appreciate Ichiru a hell of a lot more.





	1. Chapter 1

It was first snow.

Then hunger. Or maybe it'd been the exhaustion that'd slowly built up over the course of her stay. Whatever it was, it'd doomed her from the very beginning.

Kagome was tired. She was just so, so _sick_ of it all.

Especially _them_. They were never far; their auras palpable and suffocating, smothering her in its intensity.

'Like now.' She surmised, gazing left, and observing the two red eyes staring back. She wanted to cry a little, thinking of how twisted her short life had been.

At a young age, her stays in orphanages had been numbered. Where she'd been born or who had given birth to her had always remained a mystery. And now, cast out from every available place, she was pretty sure she was going to die.

Be it the natural occurrences of nature, or the vampires leering at her, waiting for her spiritual powers to wane into nothingness.

'Whatever.' She unsteadily exhaled, leaning back against the damp wall. It had begun snow and she wondered if this was how she was going to die. Snow was something she detested because it always made her cold. She rather preferred spring because it was warm.

Her own life, however, was about to be snuffed out.

The steady barrier she had managed to put up for the last few days slowly disappeared. Along with it went her protection.

From across, the red eyes blinked in curiosity.

She felt the lump rise in her throat, "Why?"

The being stepped out, realizing what was happening. She saw the familiar features of the monster that'd been stalking her the last couple of weeks.

Kagome wasn't stupid, even though all the adults ever saw was a child on the verge of death. She knew who'd done this to her, who taunted the humans, causing varying degrees of 'bad luck' to whoever adopted her. After a while, the town's folk got the hint, and stopped helping her. 'Mom' and 'dad' returned her time and time again, until she was turned away completely.

The novelty "child from the well" no longer was popular, she was simply shunned.

"Why did you do this to me?" She watched as it trekked closer, drinking her small figure in. He was about halfway when she felt fear begin to set in.

None had dared to approach her, not even him. They simply watched, but this one had made subtle gestures to get closer to her. A flick of her powers always sent him off.

"Why can't you leave me alone?!"

She sagged against the wall, sliding down as he neared. The way his eyes glowed eerily in the darkness frightened her, and she thrust her hand out, "Get away!"

That was her mistake and one she couldn't correct as he seized the moment given. In an instant, he'd latched onto her wrist and held her there.

"Let go!" She tried to yank her arm back, but he held her with ease.

His mouth opened, revealing his inhumanly sharp teeth. He grinned down at her, "Hush little one."

"No! Stop!"

She saw herself reflected back in his inhumane eyes, trembling in fear. When she was ushered forward, against her will, Kagome dug her heels down into the ground.

"Help! Anyone!"

He leaned down to her level, hand at her back to keep her in place, as if whispering a secret, "You can't escape me now."

"STOP!"

When she felt his breath at her neck, the tears welled up, but she continued to struggle within his hold. She struck and hit at him, but her blows were like mere shoves rebounded off.

"Spitfire." His lips curled up in dark amusement.

When his teeth broke her skin, she screamed, voice rising painfully high. His teeth dug mercilessly into her soft flesh, clamping down on the junction of her neck, and she knew pain like she'd never felt before.

"Delicious," He hummed, drawing back to look down at the pretty picture she made. She felt the copious liquid slide down her neck, shaking when she saw her own blood smeared all over his mouth.

"W-Why?"

He gave her no reply, wiping away the blood that stained her cheek. When he again went back to taste her blood and puncture her flesh again, she let loose a small cry of dismay. It soon soon rose back into a shrill scream.

It was then she saw flashes of something pass through her tear filled eyes.

Golden eyes. A magnificent sword. Blood. Red. Red. _Red_.

She hated red. She hated red eyes.

_Naraku_.

In between her flashbacks, her memories, and fear, it was as if something shattered. Like it'd long ago rotted before, and the tension building up had tipped the ice berg.

She vaguely noted she was still screaming, but the being holding her had gone tense.

Kagome sniffled, looking up at him in bewilderment. All at once, looking at this _beast_ in human form, she felt the tendrils of something well up.

Why? Why her?

"I only wanted a place to call my own." Kagome moaned out in confusion. She looked all around her, "Why? Why isn't anyone helping me?"

Power began to swell within her, reacting to her unstable emotions. The little girl that she used to be faltered. And it was enough.

"W-What're you doing?!"

_'Filthy. Disguising. Monster.'_ Her mind supplied.

A purple light that shot up, encompassing them both, but it did nothing to her. The vampire disintegrated into sand moments later, cursing her. When he was gone seconds later, she fell to her knees. The blood dropped off her shoulder and she watched as it hit the ground.

Part of her was inwardly panicking but another watched blankly. The snow fell plentiful around her and she watched as her blood dyed it a crimson shade.

Already, she could feel the others stirring, tittering in hunger and amusement. At any moment, she knew more of them would come for her.

'Let them come.' Part of her whispered, 'We will fight to the death. '

After having her blood sucked, and realizing how cruel the world could be, Kagome realized she just didn't care anymore.

All she wanted was to live.

She would carve that message into the world.

It was with that mindset that she stood up and waited. When they came, to kill her, she fought back.

Her mercy forgotten, she killed and killed as they rushed at her. Her powers snapped and came forth unrestrained.

When she felt she was being too cruel, and wanted to curl up to die, the blood that warmed her body reminded her.

She was alive.

And she wanted to keep it that way. Her powers came to her aid even when she didn't want it herself.

Until there was a pile of sand surrounding her, and she was dizzy from the amount of blood she had lost. Until she was sure her conflicting emotions would be the end of her.

And when she felt no more of their wicked aura, not even for miles, she allowed her body to give out on itself. The snow that chilled her body and the wounds she had sustained lulled her quickly to sleep.

Before she passed out though, she thought she glimpsed something silver in the moonlight.

In her delirium, her mind whispered something she quite didn't understand.

'Inuyasha...?'

It was something she soon forgot moments later, as the person neared and she succumbed to exhaustion.

* * *

Her throat burned.

That was the first thing she noticed upon waking. The second was that she was currently in a bed.

It took only a second for her memories to return.

The vampire. Her wound. Fighting until she passed out.

Fear gripped her heart as she bolted upward. All coherent thought gone, she began to tear at her throat. The bandages that were wrapped around her throat were lost in her frantic motions.

When she finally had them removed, she immediately began to feel at her neck. Searching, only to be met with smooth skin.

No mark. No scabs. Nothing.

Her heart dropped in response, "W-Wha?"

"You're awake."

The statement spoken to her was neither welcoming nor friendly.

Kagome scarcely had enough time to question the stranger before he crossed the room in a blink of an eye and grasped ahold of her neck.

She barely even realized she was choking, looking up and trying to register in her brain the silver strands and hardened amethyst eyes staring coolly down at her.

"I didn't think you'd live." He quietly confessed, squeezing harder at her neck.

She felt the pressure, the discomfort on her still burning throat. His hand was squeezing the life out of her.

"S-Stop!" She faintly cried out. _"NO!"_

Her silver-haired stranger watched on silently. He could feel the fight leaving her body, and marveled at how petite she looked, even for a small child.

Kagome was sure this was how she would die, at the hands of someone she didn't even know. Her vision had begun to dim. She was on the verge of passing out.

When her life had begun to slip away, it happened.

" _Ichiru_."

His hand was off her neck at the call, and she greedily gulped up the air afterward. When he left her line of vision, she rolled over, coughing violently.

And to her surprise, was met with the most beautiful person she had ever met in her life.

She even forgot the pain she in.

"Ichiru," The woman repeated, stepping into the room.

He was at her side, "Shizuka-sama."

Shizuka-sama. That was the name of this lovely being.

Her silvery long hair, the light pink cherry blossom irises currently regarding at her, even the strange garment she wore flattered her.

"W-Who're you?" Kagome managed out from her aching throat, scrubbing at her watery eyes, "What happened to my throat?" She felt the smooth skin again, unblemished by the vampire's bite marks from earlier, and shuddered. "What did you do?"

A noise of irritation left the male's throat. Her heart flopped when she dared to look up. The chills raced up and down her arms, knowing, feeling that somehow she displeased them. The cold chill that invaded the warm room startled Kagome, and she uneasily gauged the situation; sending out soothing waves of her aura.

She was rewarded with a laugh, light and airy.

Kagome reeled back in obvious surprise. "Y-You're..!" She swallowed the panicked shivers racking her body, and could only spit out the next word. _"Vampire!"_

Shizuka let out a pleased sound, "You noticed."

Kagome gripped her neck in recollection of the bite, trying to quench the uneasy feelings rising up. "You're different from the others." Her nails dug into her skin, feeling the aura Shizuka emitted. It was relaxed but spoke volumes of power she'd never felt from the ones in town. "Different from _them_." She narrowed her eyes, "What are you?"

The male at her side shifted, pulling something out that glinted in the moonlight, "I tire of this tryst, Shizuka-sama."

Shizuka reacted faster than either of them anticipated, earlier than her own powers rising up in response to the threat, moving faster than they could follow. In a fraction of a second, she appeared from behind Kagome.

Her breathing cut short as she felt petite hands land on her shoulders.

"You're amusing." Shizuka murmured against her ear, "Just like him."

She saw Ichiru tense at the statement.

"I'm Kagome." She supplied without thinking, "No one else."

Another laugh. "That you are." She felt the mockery in the statement but ignored it.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Shizuka wrapped sinewy arms around her, "Why would I do that?"

"You're a vampire." Kagome kept her gaze steady even as she felt the glare from across the room.

"You're right." She felt hands toying with her hair, "A vampire's nature is cruel and bloodstained, after all."

She felt a bitter smile rise up, "Isn't that the same for humans too?"

"You're sinful." Shizuka remarked, "I like that."

She looked down at her hands, "Sinful huh?"

_Red. Red._

'What is it?' She questioned, shaking her head. 'That color, it's so ugly. Ugh.' Nausea swelled in her belly.

"What is it?"

Kagome brought a shaking hand to her mouth, "I think I'm going to be sick." She unwound the arms from around her and took a step from the bed. "I feel... I don't know."

"Ichiru, tend to her." Shizuka gestured once she fell to her knees. "Our guest is unwell."

There was no disagreement like she expected. And Ichiru picked her up much softer than she had expected, looping his arms under her legs and back. She could almost say it would've been intimate if he wasn't so stoic.

While she pondered the new changes, which wasn't much different from when she had woken, Shizuka fluttered by. "Get better soon my lamb." She chastised as he settled her down on the bed.

"Y-Yeah." She hesitantly agreed, awkwardly watching as she sashayed out and Ichiru pulled the covers around her. She even "eeped" a little once he laid his hand on her forehead for a moment, watching the lavender eyes with unveiled curiosity.

"Your temperature is higher than normal." He noted, pulling back.

She could only nod, pulling the blanket higher to hide her hot cheeks.

"Sleep."

When a dizzying wave hit her, she again nodded, closing her eyes. It was enough to calm her embarrassment.

* * *

Throughout the night, she could vaguely recall a gentle touch on her face. It was a cool reprieve from the hotness that consumed her body, and she ached to feel the snow on her face once more. Ironic that she'd hated it a few hours back.

When she woke, her body was that of a warm tingle, and she inwardly thanked the wet rag on her forehead.

"You're awake."

'Again.' She thought, opening her eyes. 'We meet like this again.'

The figure by the window moved, and she was pleasantly alarmed to see it was not Ichiru this time, but Shizuka.

"You're not gonna choke me too this time, are you?" She halfheartedly croaked out, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

"I see that you've overcome the fever."

"It's been… a long time since I last slept in a warm bed." She quietly admitted.

"You're not from here."

She blinked at the statement, before apathetic-ness settled onto her features, "I don't know where I came from."

"Then you're lost."

Kagome felt another bitter smile resurfacing, reflecting her state of mind. "That's a nice way of putting it." She looked up at the ceiling, "When really, I've been abandoned."

There was a quiet silence, possibly the ponderings of the vampire in front of her, before, "Everyone will face moments of solitary periods."

"Are you trying to console me?" She began, observing the intricate ceiling, "That's very un-vampirelike."

She did not startle when a shadow presented itself upon her, the shine of the moon blocked out by Shizuka's tall stature.

"Are all vampires inhuman?"

"Yes." Kagome answered without hesitation, "You're all callous and cruel." If she were to die today, would anyone care?

No.

The taller one the two hummed in agreement, "We are all trying to find our way."

"We?"

The cherry eyes flicked down to her. "Are you not looking for a place called home?"

"That's a foreign word to me."

"Perhaps, we should give it to you?"

Kagome furrowed her brows. "What are you planning?"

A wave of her hand, "Stay here with Ichiru and me."

"You're joking right?" As if she'd stay with the likes of _them_.

Shizuka's eyes sharpened, "I never joke."

The young adolescent cast her a look of cold fury. "I'm in no mood for games. Kill me if you wish."

"Ah, but that would be such a waste. No, I need you as you are."

"I have no wish to continue such a miserable existence!"

Her blood chilled when Shizuka abruptly kneeled down to her, "Give your life to me."

"Eh?"

"This existence of yours, give it to me if you have no desire to keep it." The earnest look on Shizuka's face confused her, scared her.

"Why would I do that?"

"All around you, this life of yours has been cruel, no?" She placed gentle hands on her face, "But beside me, beside Ichiru, you will have a reason to live."

She stared hard at the floor. "I don't want to be here anymore."

"Would you rather I cast you back into the world; a child to be taken in the eyes of everyone else?"

Kagome shut her eyes against the terrible memories, the chill of the seasons, and clenched her teeth together. "Why are you doing this?"

In the darkness of the room, Shizuka saw her as she was. Weak. Vulnerable.

Her lips curled up. _'Perfect.'_

"Kagome-chan." She called, "Won't you make a place for yourself here?"

The tiny child jolted, entranced by her name. "Shizuka?" She hesitantly replied, "Why? Why me?"

Her eyes glowed red, "Does there need to be a reason?"

' _Naraku.'_

Kagome felt the tears well, "Yes." Even as she felt her hair being brushed aside, while she remained still in Shizuka's arms, her mind screamed at her to push the pureblood away.

" _You are special."_

 


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome awoke to a pleasant warmth that tingled in the back of her throat, which spread throughout her body. She took in the same room, the same bed, but not.

She didn't feel the same anymore either.

As if, all the missing pieces in her shattered self had been filled in. Her fingers traced the would-be bite marks of Shizuka's kiss; somehow they'd scarred over. The flesh was tender, and she was sure they marred her neck like ink on paper.

As much as she debated the mark, Kagome bore no evil will or malice intentions towards Shizuka-sama… Rather, she felt only a calm sense fill her. Calm enough to slip out of the bed and into the halls. Aside from a newfound stoic-ness, Kagome soon realized the newer changes that came with her transformation. It was startling to see the world bathed in details she'd never before noticed.

The immaculateness of it all left her very interested. A scratch here, a stain there; the very world that blared itself into her ears. She shut her eyes at the sudden intrusion and covered her ears in an instant, damming the acute senses. When she felt steady, the exploration of the surrounding area was long and painful.

'How the hell do they do it?'

She inched closer to the stairs descending and breathed a sound of relief when the noise lessened. The light dimmed from there on and should've given her an off-putting feeling, but her vision was no less affected.

'Typical of a vampire, huh?' She bitterly reasoned, stepping towards the light shining underneath a closed door.

Faintly, the thrumming presence she'd felt throughout the house began to grow in intensity as she neared. Her hearing picked up the fragments of conversation, dulled between the walls.

'Shizuka-sama.' Her mind supplied, gravitating towards the pulse that practically _called_ to her. When she pushed aside the door, her assumptions were made correct.

"You're awake?"

Light refracted the silvery hues of the duo's hair beautifully.

"Yes."

Pureblood lips curved upwards, "Good."

Ichiru, from beside her, regarded Kagome warily. She almost didn't pay attention but found her eyes straying back towards him. For what purpose was a human needed?

She voiced her question.

Shizuka paid no mind, reaching towards a small table she hadn't noticed. Ichiru intercepted her, and Kagome wondered if the downturn of her lips really happened.

"Blood tablet?" She offered.

Even though she had no knowledge of a blood tabled (she grimaced), the young girl recoiled. "Um, no."

"Truly?"

Kagome ignored the amused tone, "Why did you… turn me?"

The female lifted the cup to her lips which she assumed to be blood because the scent was lovely. "Power."

"What could I offer? I'm useless."

"Hmm…"

"Don't mock me," Kagome emphasized slowly, feeling at odds with herself. She wondered just how much Shizuka knew about her.

Ichiru tensed, but a wave of his master's hand, and he relaxed. She felt herself relaxing as well, but resisted the natural action. What was this?

"What are you doing?" She asked quickly before she could lose her nerve, "You're different somehow."

Another curvy smile, but it lacked all traces of warmth. "I am who I am; Hio Shizuka."

'Sama.' She unknowingly added but quashed the thought. The overwhelming urge to bow was getting stronger. "Let me go."

"You are free to do so."

"Am I?" Kagome clenched her fists, "Don't joke around with me."

Her mind screamed at her to bolt, but her body wouldn't listen. She squeezed tighter. She briefly became aware of her sharpened nails breaking skin, and a flip insider her switched.

_"Oi!"_

The call lasted for only a moment, but the sound of breaking glass drowned it out.

And she, who'd broken it, went soaring out of the building. When she dared to turn her head, she caught the figure of an entertained Shizuka, crimson eyes narrowed with a smile. She turned her head just as quickly.

Her body darted over fallen trees and rocks, and she marveled at this newfound strength.

'Amazing.' Colors blurred together with the wind. To think, that just yesterday she'd been on the verge of dying, and now, she was stronger than ever.

At the price of her humanity she'd gained something else; the guarantee of her survival.

She flicked a tongue over her teeth and felt the telltale edge of her fangs. They fit together; this inhuman speed, her teeth, and Kagome embraced the vampire within her.

Dancing through the forest, she laughed. With this, she was free.

_**BLAM!** _

"Shizuka-sama!"

Blood splattered her face, all feelings of happiness obliterated. The woman in front of her stumbled.

"Shizuka!" She cried, dropping the honorific and catching her. A click resounded, with the barrel of a gun sticking itself between her eyes. She followed the gun upwards.

"A child vampire, and a pureblood?" Came the condescending voice, "Disgusting beings."

"Who are you?" Kagome angrily snarled. Her senses roared in her ears, churning in an indescribable rage. Before she realized it, she bared her fangs in warning. A strange sensation resonated within her eyes, heightening her senses.

"Always with the teeth baring." The hunter muttered, kicking Shizuka from her arms. The unconscious pureblood exhaled shakily, leaking blood onto the ground. She reached out to the rapidly darkening clothing but his gun jarred her shoulder and she fell back against the tree.

"What do you know?"

"Huh?" She bitterly responded, "What kinda question is that?"

He thrust his foot into her stomach. A choked sound left her lips, "Kuh…!"

"What are her plans?"

"I don't know what you mean," Kagome coughed, "But you can go to hell!"

"I never liked the creepy color of you vampires' eyes." He commented, striking her cheek. "It's unsettling."

Blood dribbled down her chin while she regarded him hatefully. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to see all of you bloodsuckers dead."

"Unfortunately, they're a little hard to kill." The scent of blood, more enticing than she'd ever before smelled, permeated the area.

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

"Never." Kagome bit back, "I just want to get away." That said, she swiped forward, hoping to get his other eye and add another eye patch to his stupid face. He sidestepped her expertly, knocking her to the floor.

"You're just a baby compared to the other children." He chorused, smiling down at her darkly for what she had tried to do. The gun repositioned itself, "Now tell me what you know or die."

She had tried to fall away from Shizuka and ended up landing painfully on her elbow. "Aren't you going to kill me regardless?" She hissed out, pain constraining her voice.

"Certainly. Or…"

"Or…?"

"Or you could come quietly."

Every second wasted was another where Shizuka lost more blood. "Why?"

"You know this filthy thing."

She failed to answer that she'd only known her for a night. "And if I do?"

_Where the hell was Ichiru?_

"You'll be offered some protection."

She supposed the apathetic look he possessed was something of a mask.

Nevertheless, she reluctantly took the outstretched hand he held in her direction. She could buy Shizuka some time.

Kagome soon found out that every step away from the vulnerable Shizuka felt as if she was being continually stabbed. Her face scrunched up in pain, needing to steady herself every few steps. Her captor seemed to notice but said nothing until she stumbled.

"You gonna pass out on me brat?"

"As if." She muttered but fell second later.

Yagari debated dragging her but settled on a sigh and slung the unconscious girl over his shoulder. "I get paid too little for this."

* * *

Sleep was long and fitful, but when she awoke, the ache had dulled. The memory of Shizuka still wounded made her gasp aloud as she quickly sat up. The walls that greeted her were aged, cracking in places.

She wondered why she hadn't died yet. In a far off area, the crackling of a fire alerted her to the presence of her unknown captor. Food wafted throughout the abandoned warehouse, rousing her stomach.

"Well," came the response, "aren't you going to eat?"

Alarmed, Kagome gazed into the darkness. _"Oi."_ She was pretty sure humans didn't possess that kind of hearing. "Brat, get into here."

"How?" She inquired, sliding out of the creaky bed. "How can you hear me?"

"What do you take me for?" The echo resounded emptily. Footsteps and he appeared in the doorway. "A weak human?"

"Then you're no-"

"Hunter."

"Eh?"

He answered calmly but with venom. "For vampires."

She remembered the gun he had so leisurely pointed at her before. "How… How come I've never seen you before?" It came out accusingly.

Perhaps he heard it in her voice, or in the blank state of her expression, but replied softer than she had anticipated. "We hunt in secret."

"We?"

"There's an association."

Bits and pieces of unpleasant memories arouse, heavy in their presence. Freezing cold nights, constant running; always fear. Why did you never help?

She hadn't voiced her thought, but he answered anyway. "Normal people are not part of our jurisdiction."

Her heart was slowly freezing, appropriate for the temperature of the room. "I see." She said, wondering if she was more fragile than she had originally pegged herself for.

In her daze, the raven haired male turned his back to her, "Eat." He motioned her out of the room, going on ahead as she composed herself. When she entered, he thrust a bowl at her, soup sloshing around the rims.

Carefully, she inched toward the warmth of the fire. When had she last sat before one? She gave a small glance towards the hunter, "You're not eating?"

"Not hungry."

"Huh?" She incredulously admonished.

"Shut up and eat." He answered with the same amount of hate he held for vampires.

She drained the contents, holding out for seconds. "You shouldn't be picky."

His eyebrow twitched, "I don't need to answer to a child."

Kagome hummed thoughtfully, "Are you sure? Maybe I'm older than I look."

"Don't kid yourself, let alone me." He retorted, "Your aura is rather weak."

"Isn't yours as well?" Before, she'd been distracted with thoughts of actually dying. However, how she could sense the sliver of vampire blood within him, "Why is that?"

"You talk too much." He lifted his brown hat, and set it over his face, leaning back into the rustic seat. "Get some sleep brat. We leave when the sun rises."

* * *

More than anything, Kagome wanted out of the sunlight. She scrunched a distressed hand into Yagari's clothing and looked down. He gave no indication of annoyance but walked on. She was content to hide in his shadow, longing for darkness.

She realized one thing though, leaning against his back sleepily; the day for vampires really was meant for sleeping.

"Don't go collapsing in the street," Hunter-san warned.

She gave a sluggish nod, "Mm."

They traveled on like that, slower than he would have liked but he adjusted his pace. "What am I doing?" Yagari muttered, coming to a halt. The child behind him halted accordingly.

He gave some thought to her predicament. The association had never studied the beginning stages of a fledging. The girl was just as troublesome as the twins, if not more. Begrudgingly, he scooped her into his arms, ignoring the curious stares of passerbys.

If he recalled correctly, the association was located a couple towns over. Somehow, carrying her all the way was not an option.

'Best to travel at night then.'

* * *

"You reek."

That was what was said to her upon jostling her awake before he dropped her –clothes and all- into the bath. She sputtered up lukewarm water, "What are you _doing_?!"

"Get cleaned up." He left in a flurry of clothes, mainly the billowing of his jacket. She yelled curses at his retreating form and sat angrily for a while. Left alone, Kagome gradually resolved herself to a bath in god knows how long.

Just a little, she could admit a bath was luxury to her now, and she felt that seeing the filth come off her felt strangle liberating. Not wanting to waste the opportunity presented, she furiously began scrubbing. Her body reddened as result, but she keenly became aware of her neck that she had avoided washing.

Along with the dirt and grime came blood that had seeped out of the scratches she had given herself. Shizuka's bite resonated with her touch. It was with desperation that she wished the feeling would disappear, tearing at the tender skin. Gasping, she barely heard Yagari come in.

"Brat, yo-" He opened the door slowly, not smelling the blood until seconds later. Then he threw it open, "Oi!" He caught her bloodied fingers. It only served to frighten her more.

"Let go! Let go of me!"

"And why would I do that?" He hissed back to her unseeing eyes, "You think I'm stupid huh?"

Her body twisted and turned, water pouring over the tub in her struggle.

"Calm down!" He bellowed back at her, "Whatever it is, calm down!"

Her screams echoed loudly within the bathroom, shuddering and dying as soon as they started. When she'd calmed enough to cease her struggles, he let go slowly.

"…that was unnecessary." She replied weakly.

He shook off some of the excess water. "About as unnecessary as your little episode."

The blood still dripped from her neck but she made no move to wipe it away. She did sink back into the water, somewhat embarrassed. "Her touch…"

"Hm?" He grunted back at her.

"I can feel it."

"Don't bother remembering the past." He leaned back and grabbed a towel that he set on her head while he stood. "Get dressed. A sick brat is the last night I need." He then swept out of the room, giving her privacy and mumbling about a change of clothes.

Later she would realize they were spending the night in a hotel. It was strange given they had spent the last in an abandoned house, and the next, a luxurious hotel. She should've been wary; spending time along with a grown man but when he mentioned flat chested girls weren't his style, she had no trouble jumping into the single bed. Or hogging it for that matter.

"Move over kid."

"Eh-?" She groused, freshly bandaged. "Find your own place to sleep."

"This is my room." He reminded, shoving her aside while falling onto the bed. "I'm not sleeping on some shit sofa either."

"Well, I'm not moving." Kagome stubbornly announced. Her answer came in the form of another shove. She sulkily scooted over, "I don't like this."

"You're not my type." He mumbled, "Now go to sleep."

She childishly stuck her tongue out. "Whatever."

No way in hell would she ever admit he had a pleasant warmth, or that he was the closest she had ever been with another person. So she kicked him for good measure, and at his complaint, feigned sleep.

"Seriously." He grumbled.

* * *

Something… felt off, she thought the next night, bright eyed.

"Ne…" She whined, "I'm hungry."

"Huh?" Yagari shot back, "Couldn't you have said something earlier?"

She kicked some rocks, "I'm hungry _now_."

He lit a cigarette, "The nearest store is not far from here."

"Yes!" She cheered, running ahead. "Come on!" He waved her off, reasoning she had no money and would ultimately come back from him. Smugly, he called out an assurance as she found it.

They stopped, she ate, and they were off.

"Ahhh." She smiled, "Refreshing."

The unpleasant hunger had subsided.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Unpleasant hunger had become an understatement, she later thought, anxiously balancing on the balls of her feet. In the distance, she watched her traveling 'companion' finish off another rogue vampire with ease. She also noted the blood that trickled down the side of his arm; something he'd paid little attention to. It held her interest keenly.

Kagome was not an idiot. Granted she was still young, she already knew what this was.

She was hungry. She was also a newly turned vampire. And right now, Yagari looked absolutely delicious. She turned her head away, ashamed of her thinking.

"You okay kid?" Yagari had long ago finished off the nuisances, walking over to where she stood.

Glancing up at his towering form, Kagome nervously offered a smile. "Yeah." She couldn't bear to tell him she was starving.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared down at the small girl before him. "Bullshit."

"I'm _fine_." She retorted, sparing his injured side an awkward look, "…clean yourself up."

It was with quiet realization Yagari pulled his arm away. _Of course._

He'd been careless. How long had they been traveling together? He tried to go over the times he'd fed her just ordinary food. "Why didn't you say anything?" It came out more accusatory than he would've liked, but he was annoyed at her.

Kagome sighed, "It's fine, okay?" Turning her nose away from the enticing scent of blood, she closed her eyes. "It'll pass."

"Don't be an idiot." Yagari chided, holding pressure onto his wound. "You're a vampire. You drink blood." He wasn't comforting about the fact, instead shoving his bloodied palm towards her. "Here."

Her tongue flicked out to lick her dry lips, but inwardly, she recoiled. Turning her head, she took a couple of steps back. "I don't think this is how one does it." Already, she could feel her fangs lengthening in response to the slowly building hunger. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you, right?" Tentatively, she pushed his hand away. "I'll drink... just not from you."

The thought of taking his blood was enough to make her burn with shame. She liked Yagari. He may have been callous, but he was kind to her in a round about way. It was the first time she'd ever felt cared about.

The elder male looked down at her with indecipherable emotion, squeezing his hand, "All right."

* * *

Several hours later found the sun setting to a low horizon and Kagome staking out a nearby park. Yagari had insisted he come with, but she didn't want him to see. Part of her was still in denial. It was also unethical for a hunter to be encouraging she prey on innocent humans, and it made it easier on her conscience if he was elsewhere when she was 'hunting'.

It wasn't difficult for a concerned stranger or two to walk up to her and ask what a young girl like her was doing out alone by herself. She weighed her options, settling on a young female, and shooing away other people. Kagome was cute, she knew, only heightened by the fact she was now a vampire. She was irresistible.

"So, where're your parents?" The one she'd chosen was a bright eyed blond woman. Sincerity shone in her eyes, "Did you get lost?" It was hard not to like her, but anyone was better than biting Yagari.

She played niceties, "I… I don't know where they went."

"Oh, you poor thing." The woman soothed, holding out her hand. "Here, why don't we look around and see if we can find them?"

'You fool.' Kagome thought, placing her smaller hand into the other. "Please."

A reassuring smile was flashed at her. "It'll be okay."

She wished it could be. As soon as she was sure her guard was down, she experimentally let her powers leak out. It was weak, and it stung to use them, but she could sense there was no one in the immediate vicinity.

The smile that curled on her lips worried her, but she was so very hungry. The chattering of the other was cut short when she pulled her down, hard.

"W-Wha?!"

Her teeth caught jugular, cutting short the scream that'd begun to work its way out of the terrified lady's throat. And just as she'd begun to dig in, there wasn't a body there anymore. She snarled in response, annoyed at what could've been.

In her place, Shizuka flicked her nails clean, "Hello my pet."

The blood drained from Kagome's face. She imagined she was thinking of their last encounter, which prompted the question, "Are you alright?" It slipped out before she could quash the concern she felt, something Yagari had thought to educate her on. It was only natural to obey.

The pureblood regarded her with careful consideration, a smile playing on her lips. "We don't die easily."

A sort of relief washed over her, further affirmed by the fact Shizuka was up and about. It was a stark contrast from the days prior where she'd been bleeding out. Regardless, she hesitantly took a step back, "Why're you here?"

"Don't play coy." Cherry colored eyes danced with amusement, "Surely you know I've come to collect."

The dread in her stomach intensified. "I… I..." The refusal wouldn't form words. She clenched her teeth, weakly finishing with, "I like it here."

When her lips turned downcast, Kagome shuddered.

"Are you refusing me?"

At the words, she stiffened. This wasn't what she wanted at all. She couldn't bring herself to respond, but she didn't have to.

" _You're not taking her."_

Oh no.

Kagome watched Yagari step out of the shadows. He gave a quick look over to the two of them, and then the lifeless body of the female, before pursing his lips. "Come over here." He instructed the young girl, leveling his gun at the pureblood.

"Stay." Shizuka softly uttered.

Kagome couldn't find it within herself to refuse. She cast a withering look to the hunter behind her, sorrow igniting her reddening irises. He responded in kind with a grunt, walking closer to her, "You're not taking her." He repeated.

"And what would you have me do?" Shizuka's eyes turned a shade darker, but her face remained pleasant. "The girl is mine."

Kagome closed her eyes. She had no desire to endanger the only person to be kind to her. "….I'll go with you."

Resigning herself to her fate, she ignored the protests of Yagari, instead flashing him a smile. "You were good to me. Thank you." Dropping her eyes further, she motioned to his arm, "Did you fix yourself up?"

He was fighting a losing battle. "Don't be an idiot."

"I… enjoyed the time spent with you." She continued, stepping closer to Shizuka. "But… I don't think I can live in your world." It was bittersweet. She really really liked Yagari. Turning to her maker, Kagome nodded, "We can leave now."

Pleased, Shizuka wrapped an arm around her. "Of course."

He could only watch the two disperse into scattering blossoms, cursing again the fact that damnable pureblood seemed to only take and take from him.

* * *

Returning to the house was easy enough. Ichiru was another matter entirely. He hated her. That much was evident upon arriving, his lips curled down in distaste. She imagined he was remembering their last encounter.

"Hi to you too." She muttered, shifting slightly. Shizuka had left the two of them alone.

"Shizuka-sama is too kind." He finally broke the silence, tersely chastising her. "You should've been killed." She found the harshness of his personality to conflict with the softness of his voice. It was a shame such a beautiful face was wasted. Then again, wasn't that all vampires?

Sighing, Kagome looked around. "Yes yes, but unfortunately, I'm alive. It also looks like I'm here to stay." Fingering her sleeve, she uneasily looked up. "…And I'm hungry." For one thing, she was glad she'd never bitten Yagari.

He was about to rebuke her for her insolence when the door clicked open. "Hungry?"

They both looked at the beautiful being that commanded attention.

Slightly shy, Kagome nodded. "I've been hungry for quite some time…" The sensation in her eyes thrummed, something she could only guess was the color of her eyes changing. She was slowly but surely growing more accustomed to the needs of her vampire nature.

Shizuka's voice spoke volumes of how pleased she was to see the changes in her pet, "Wonderful." It was almost like a laugh, "Have you ever tasted blood?"

She was growing less and less inhibited the more she thought of the tantalizing way it sounded to her. "No. Not since that night." She hadn't even been conscious for it, but she'd been satisfied upon waking. The savage in her wondered how it tasted when awake.

"You're not seriously thinking of giving her _your_ blood?" Ichiru's voice rang with disgust as he protectively situated himself between the two. He glared down at her, "She's undeserving."

In response, the superior vampire looped her arms over his shoulders, still taller, smiling into his ear. "Are you jealous?"

The way he stiffened did not go unnoticed before he lamely replied with. "You're a pureblood." He further froze when Shizuka gave his neck a tentative sniff, "Do you want this?" She prodded, "This bloody life?"

The interaction shared between the two ran far more intimate than Kagome dared say, before noting that he too looked delicious. In the presence of far more primal creatures, it was easier to drop the human tendencies she had fought to keep.

The moment was broken when he looked away, a faint tint of red running along his face, "Don't tease me."

Judging by his reaction, she guessed this was something common. What had her curious was how Shizuka seemed to have a peculiar fondness for the boy. She handled him as delicately as he handled her, if not more. It was strange. She'd only ever known vampires to be calculating and cruel. But Shizuka merely let Ichiru go, regarding his innocent reactions with delight.

"If giving her my blood is too much, then why not yours?"

He frowned, clearly hating the idea. "My blood is only yours."

It seemed that was the answer she wanted to hear, brushing back a stray strand of his hair. "I'll send for someone." The pleasure in her voice was enough to make Kagome relax.

When she left, it was back to an awkward silence between the two. More awkward on her part, and a subtle indifference for Ichiru. 'Pity. He was actually sort of gentle beforehand.' Kagome thought, tilting her head to the side. Maybe it was because she was feverish?

She barely looked away when he threw her an annoyed glance, "Are you quite done?"

Kagome was 110% sure he was only kind to Shizuka. Shaking her head, she replied with, "Crystal."

She only hoped Yagari would forget about her.

* * *

Life with the two was strange. The more she spent with the two, the more she came to learn exactly why Shizuka wanted her. The powers she possessed were desired by a multitude of people. It was just pure luck that Shizuka found her first.

Little by little, she found herself growing accustomed to the life she now held. Ichiru was still insufferable in his dislike of her, but she found him tolerable. With Shizuka, she wanted nothing else to obey. She also knew it was because of her blood and she was conflicted, but the sinewy smile the pureblood gave her always drowned out everything.

At present, she was working on summoning what little power she held and being given schooling by a private tutor. It wouldn't have been proper to keep around an uneducated fledging. She was also given a certain amount of freedom that had slowly been growing given how she had run away earlier.

For where could she go in the world now?

Time passed by quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

'This is risky.' She eventually thought, looking towards the buildings jutting out from behind raised gates. In front of her sat a figure shrouded in darkness, seemingly at ease as the horses pulled on.

When the carriage came to a halt, she gauged the surrounding area for any immediate dangers. Finding none, the door opened and a hand reached in to help the two out.

It was strange to see her maker in this new form, Kagome reasoned, watching as said shrouded figure daintily put her hand into the other. Maria Kurenia had always been a frail vampire, so she worried. Ichiru seemed to worry too, for he was handling her far more delicately than ever before.

She wondered if coming to Cross Academy had been a wise move, but she would follow her master anywhere. As she trailed behind the two across the school grounds, she became acutely aware of the large crowd of vampire signatures in one of the school buildings.

"Shizu – Maria," she began, fumbling over the informalities, "I imagine you're aware?"

Maria offered her a sweet smile, pale grey eyes replacing what would have been cherry colored ones. "I am." The trot in her gait was evident, tinkling laughter permeating the surrounding area. "I'll go meet the headmaster now." She offered nothing more than that.

Ichiru; he'd grown far taller as the years went by, expressed his displeasure with a frown. Kagome could sympathize with his reluctance to leave her alone, but it wouldn't do well to let himself be discovered so easily in his worry for her. They weren't supposed to make themselves known.

She instead offered him a small smile, "I won't leave her alone." It would be easy for her to blend into the shadows. She, herself, had grown little. It was something she attributed to becoming a vampire. She still looked like a young would-be teenager.

Slightly reassured, Ichiru handled Maria's belongings with ease and set off to the moon dormitories.

The human showing Maria around smelled and looked heavenly. She was sweet. Petite. Sincere. When Maria pulled her into a 'loving' embrace, Kagome held her breath.

She wanted to sink her teeth into the girl.

Shizuka expressed more restraint, merely teasing the prefect instead. They both knew they couldn't touch her, however enticing she may have been. Besides, she had larger concerns. Mainly that Shizuka had just entered the night class.

It comforted her to know of the useless formalities vampires had with one another, so she was well assured of her master's safety. They would probably dance around their distaste for one another.

What she hadn't expected was to find Ichiru's twin so easily. She'd heard of him, but it was startling to see him leaning against the tree. His aura spoke volumes of pained angst carefully disguised underneath a look of indifference.

He looked so much like Ichiru. The only difference was the clear vampire nature his aura held. Added to that, he was slowly crumbling into a Level E. Kagome almost felt sorry for him. He had never known the taste of Shizuka's blood.

Her sympathy ran out the moment he dared to point his gun at Maria.

Things had escalated too quickly. The pureblood in human form, Yuki, had come out. And then Shizuka, she knew of her fondness for Zero too, acted rashly. She stepped out to meet him. And Zero reacted less than ideal.

Kagome wavered.

In an instant, she'd leaped from her spot, throwing down a barrier. It was all Zero needed to fire his gun.

The shot was deafening in the silence.

Yuki was screaming at him. He seemed confused at even having pulled out his gun. But that didn't matter to Kagome. Nothing mattered. Only, the fact she was standing protectively in front of Shizuka, the markings of the Bloody Rose stained against her hastily put up barrier.

She cursed her stupidity.

"What did you do?" It was the first time she'd heard Zero's voice. It was far harsher than Ichiru's.

Regardless, he'd dared to harm her master, and she was angry. When her eyes glowed red, the two prefects stiffened in alarm.

Yuki visibly recoiled. Zero held his composure together better, narrowing his eyes. "Disgusting."

She cared little for their reactions, looking back to Maria. "Are you, all right?"

"Fine." Maria replied, but there was a hint of displeasure in it. Shuddering, Kagome turned back to the two prefects.

She'd accept her punishment later.

"You're foolish." Kagome began, "Spilling blood on this estate would lead to a number of troubles." She wondered what Ichiru would have done had he known his brother had dared to hurt their master.

This needed to end quickly.

"Maria, we should leave." This was far too demanding of her, she knew, but she hoped the pureblood would listen. She was sure the Night Class would come running out at any moment.

Kaname Kuran, the other pureblood on this estate was someone she would rather not engage with so quickly. Being around them made her uneasy, and she was sure she would have to fight against her instincts.

"Maria, are you alright?!" Yuki had torn the gun from Zero, but she dared not get closer. Kagome wondered if the girl had some sort of trauma involved vampires.

"We may go." Maria finally conceded, glancing at the brunette in front of her. Her cold façade melted away; Yuki seemingly to have missed the transaction between them, "Zero didn't mean it."

There was something underlying the words, but by then Kagome had already backed into the shadows. Maria followed shortly after, leaving the two prefects.

"What were you thinking?!" Yuki rounded on her partner. "You could've really hurt her!"

She couldn't bring herself to say kill, knowing the Bloody Rose could fully end a vampire's life if shot correctly. Her expression changed once she looked closely at Zero.

He looked disturbed, shocked even. "That woman…"

"Zero?"

"Who was she?" His voice was cold, chilling Yuki as she wondered just what Zero had against this new student of theirs. She knew Zero hated vampires, but his hate felt far more potent. And unwarranted.

"…a transfer student… The headmaster mentioned it earlier, remember?"

He didn't answer her, grabbing the gun and storming off.

"…Zero?"

He hadn't mentioned the girl, and neither did she.

"Kaname… About the new transfer student," Takuma began, looking at his best friend. "What are we going to do with her?"

"Ichijou, you take care of her."

"Eh?" The blond vampire blinked. This wasn't what he had in mind.

"It will be a problem if I openly talk about her being a nuisance, while she gathers her pawns here." Kaname murmured, glancing out the window to see Yuki berating Zero.

They all had felt the remnants of the bullet Bloody Rose had fired earlier.

"Since, all the pieces I have collected are here."

"Right…" Ichijou couldn't understand what the elite vampire was talking about, but he gathered Maria wasn't good news. She had teased the Night Class, easily picking up on the insecurities of Aido and Ruka.

A knock on the door brought both their attention. "…Hello?"

"Maria?" Ichijou seemed surprised when it opened, "What're you doing here?"

The silver haired vampire let a smile play on her lips. "I want to be excused from the dorm for a while…" Before he could ask, she answered. "To keep the Night Class peaceful." The regret on her face was almost sincere. "I heard that there was a dorm that was used when the Night Class was in the process of being established. I'd like to go there."

"I will talk to the chairman," Kaname answered from behind him.

"Eh?" Was Kaname really going to do that? Takuma didn't think the pureblood was doing that out of courtesy.

"Thank you! I'm so happy!" Maria laughed, rushing out of the room. Ichiru met her, to which she smiled frivolously.

"…Kagome?" He asked.

Maria licked her lips. "She is fine."

Ichiru didn't dare make the connection, trailing after his master.

He wondered if the child was okay.


	5. Chapter 5

She loved Shizuka, but she was not kind. She was never kind. The wounds on her body were healing quickly, but she imagined she would move slower than she would like. When the door opened, Kagome forced her stance upright. She pulled her injured arm behind her.

"We're leaving." Maria uttered, "Get the bags."

Ichiru was already beginning to pick up the items scattered inside the room.

"Where to?"

"A dorm away from here. Closer…"

She guessed it was closer to Zero; a fact that did not go unnoticed by Ichiru.

Nodding, Kagome began to follow the pair. It would be easier if they were closer to the Day Class dormitories anyway. Ichiru cast a wayward glance at her and she felt her heart warm. She shook her head, letting a smile form on her lips.

She never would have imagined that one day Ichiru would worry for her. Pushing her hand out, she let it fall onto the fabric of the younger twin and gave a reassuring squeeze. He could ask questions later.

"Kagome-chan." Maria sang, and she pulled her hand away; effectively breaking the small moment between them.

"Yes, Maria?"

"Investigate Yuki."

Her interest in the new-found figure in Zero's life was to be expected. They knew Yuki's heritage, but the extent to which she held Zero's heart was an unusual development. Kagome could almost say Shizuka was jealous.

Ignoring that, Kagome directed her attention to sneaking through the school grounds. It was vast, but it did little to frighten her. More than that, she could smell traces of the female prefect throughout the building.

It made… her hungry.

She hadn't been in school for long, but the long hallways made her nostalgic.

Against her better judgement, she found herself wandering into one that held the scent of Yuki. She could reason it was for the sake of investigation, but she hardly thought she would find anything useful in there.

In the room, there were desks leading down to the center. It was where she assumed the teacher would stand and lecture. A standard room – nothing that would have been of interest, but she longed for the simplicity.

"I wonder what Yagari is up to…" Kagome thought aloud, running her hand over a random desk. He wound his way into her thoughts every so often, especially in the early days of when she had first left him. It had been hard to let the memory of him go and accept who she was. She walked down the stairs, quickly finding Yuki's desk and began rummaging inside it.

She found the usual pens and pencils, flipping open a notebook. It was full of scribbles that she couldn't understand; Yuki had horrible handwriting she figured, but she could see the young girl wrote often about Kaname.

'Does she truly have no interest in Zero then?' Kagome wondered, finding nothing in the book. She searched the classroom quickly, and also found Zero's, but he held little belongings. Instead, she found pristine notes on various math and science subjects. A far cry from what Yuki's had been.

Not wanting to push her luck with the Kuran pureblood, she retreated from the classrooms.

She had only made it a couple of steps before she heard the cock of a gun.

"Zero…" Kagome murmured, looking at her side.

"I never got the chance to question you," he replied, not lowering his gun. "How do you know my name?"

"Do you really think that toy of yours is going to stop me?"

"If I pull it fast enough."

"I think my earlier demonstration contests that." She could tell that fact grated on his nerves from the way his unfriendly demeanor soured even more.

"You're not a level E."

Her smile grew, "I'm not. But… You almost are."

Zero narrowed his eyes, hand shifting closer to the trigger.

"For almost four years you've been resisting." She had learned of his past along with Ichiru's of course. "I'm sure the smell of blood is driving you crazy, is it not?" She imagined that was what had him running here.

Lifting her arm, Kagome didn't miss the way his eyes followed the movement. "I know you can't handle the blood tablets."

"What's your association with Maria?" He tactfully chose to ignore everything she had mentioned.

"What do you think?"

"I _will_ hurt you."

"The headmaster will be angry." She walked closer to him, sure his reckless actions from before kept him from firing the weapon. Zero was bound to keep a cool head during this time around.

"Besides, if you hurt me, you'll never get answers. Getting closer to Maria is difficult as it stands."

Not that she wanted him even remotely near her.

"Why is she here?" He had a sinking suspicion of her presence, but now that he had already mucked things up, he was unsure of whether or not he could prove his theory.

"School."

"Bullshit."

Kagome grinned, "Why are we all here then?"

It was interesting to see how his facial expressions shifted. Ichiru was the calmer one. "You and your brother look so alike."

When his eyes widened, she figured he hadn't thought ahead that far. The moment was gone as quick as it had come, and he was closing the distance between them.

" _Where is he?"_ Even though his bloodlust was noticeable, it seemed his concern for his little brother won out. He gripped her arms so strongly it almost hurt.

"With Shizuka-sama."

Had Zero any less control, he would have bared his fangs in anger. "She's alive." Somewhere within him, he had always known that. No reports had ever come in about the pureblood being hunted down. It infuriated him to admit that it was probably because of the bond she had inflicted upon him when she killed everyone, leaving just the three of them in that house from so long ago.

Shizuka had promised him that she was to die by his hand alone.

"She is."

"Take me to her."

Kagome looked up at him with something akin to amusement, "You think you can command me?"

Up close, she could see herself reflected in his grey eyes. He had just begun to lift the gun to her temple when they were interrupted by the newcomer.

"Kiryuu," came the calm voice.

"Kuran." Said person replied back, looking more put out than afraid as he should have been. It was odd to see the normally calm vampire lose it twice to the same girl.

Kagome offered him a mock bow to pureblood, leaning closer to Zero in the process. He stiffened. "Good evening, Kuran-sama."

The brown-haired pureblood emerged from the shadows. "You're with the transfer student." He idly commented, having come from the classrooms. "And just as mischievous."

That tidbit of information had Kagome quirking a brow. "I thought I'd see how safe these grounds were for my master." Best to play it off as innocence.

Zero scoffed at her lie, "You were roaming the halls. Vampires should stay put in their rooms."

Kagome looked at him with equal contempt, "I wanted to see if security was as rash as you are." The fact he was still holding onto her didn't seem to help. Begrudgingly, he let her go.

His hand came away with blood.

Her bandage had soaked through. From there, the honeyed scent of blood carried through to the two other vampires in question. Zero's eyes began to bleed red. Kaname had more reserve, instead only allowing his eyes to narrow in the slightest.

"Ahhh," Kagome sighed, looking indifferently at her arm, "It reopened." She looked up to see Zero stumbling away from her. Feeling somewhat sadistic, she flicked some blood on the floor. He lurched back.

"Kiryuu, go back to your room," Kaname spoke up, watching as he struggled to keep himself from attacking her. Even he could tell the blood she bled was different from most. Power radiated off the girl in waves. She felt almost pure, which was concerning since she was indeed a vampire.

The combination unsettled them both, but it was undeniable her blood would be delicious.

With his plan to interrogate the girl falling to pieces, Zero surprisingly followed Kaname's orders. It annoyed the pureblood to think the prefect would most certainly drink Yuki's blood tonight, but it was something he would have to endure.

When he was gone, Kaname turned his attention to the girl. "You're thirsty." If she had been in top condition, the wound would have healed ages ago. When was the last time she had drunk?

It was ironic, considering she had been baiting Zero with the exact same reasoning moments prior.

"I was careless." She replied smoothly.

Kaname knew who Maria was and what she was after. But he hadn't taken into consideration Kagome. She had never been a factor until now. He wondered just how much a thorn she would be in his plans.

Looking down at the petite female, he guessed she was around thirteen. He had also heard about the earlier events that transpired, and how she had deflected the Bloody Rose.

"What are you?"

Kagome smirked up at him. "I don't know what you mean." She had dropped the formalities and addressed him impolitely.

It was almost refreshing.

"Be careful," he warned as he turned around. Whether he was referring to her getting hurt, or for her to stay out of his way was unclear.

When he had gone, Kagome let loose a breath of relief, "What a creep." She was a bit annoyed he had cut in on her time with Zero. Pressing a hand to her arm, she tsk'ed in annoyance.

She really needed to get some control on her healing powers. when she glanced out the window, she caught sight of the female prefect leaping down from a tree.

'Guess she isn't just a princess after all.'

* * *

When she returned to the room, she walked in on Maria and Ichiru. She wasn't surprised to see Ichiru being teased as usual. The duo was either unaware of her presence or didn't seem to care. It was more like Ichiru was captivated by the elite vampire, who was currently resting dainty hands on his shoulders.

He seemed frozen in place when Maria leaned forward, mouth opening to reveal delicate fangs. Kagome felt her stomach drop, thinking she was really going to go through with it. In all her time with the pair, Shizuka had never dared to drink Ichiru's blood. It was obvious she had feelings for the boy, but she seemed afraid to pursue anything more than that.

At the last moment, Maria smiled grimly and pulled away. She didn't miss the disappointed noise Ichiru let loose.

"What have you found out?" Maria asked from her place by the window.

"I ran into Zero and Kaname before I could discover anything more."

The mention of Zero's name seemed to lessen the blow of her failure, and Maria laughed. "How is he?"

"He is unafraid of vampires in general." She had been slightly shocked to see him defy Shizuka so easily. Granted she was still in Maria's body, her words still held some hypnotic power. He had done the same with the Kuran progenitor.

"My boy," Maria sighed dreamily, "is quite energetic."

She glanced back at the other twin, "Are you sleepy?"

Kagome had become accustomed to seeing the younger twin stay up at odd hours of the night. He wanted to be with Shizuka as much as she permitted. "No."

"You should rest," Kagome commented.

At the sight of the two females demanding he sleep, he sighed. "Alright."

Getting up, he walked past Kagome, ruffling her hair on the way out. She preened under the touch.

"I have another task for you," Maria said when he had gone.

"Is this about Zero?"

Silver eyes crinkled in delight. "Yes. Tomorrow I want to explore the day class. You will distract anyone who comes to bother me."

It read more as, 'Keep Zero away until I want to see him.'

Nodding, she listened to her demand. "As you wish."

* * *

"Here."

Kagome looked up from her spot on the bed. Ichiru looked down at her impassively. "I thought you were sleeping." Funny considering she was the one in bed.

The younger twin quirked a brow, "I was going to."

When she looked down at his outstretched arm, she noted he was holding a fresh set of bandages. A small smile worked its way onto her face, "It's nothing serious."

"I know," He replied, but he still cast concerned eyes on her arm. "Shizuka-sama was harsh with you."

"I didn't listen to her."

"She probably took it too far."

She admired how perceptive he was. "I saw Zero."

Ichiru seemed to stiffen at that. "…and?" He waited for her answer, almost anxious.

"I can see how related you two are," She began. When he went to open his mouth, she continued on. "You both seemed to hate me right off the bat."

"Brat." Ichiru laughed, "You have no sense of apprehension."

The tension melted from his frame. She knew he had a sort of complex about his older brother. Everyone seemed to favor Zero more, but all she cared about was him.

Kagome grabbed the bandage from him, "I just think it's fun to tease you both."

She saw his expression soften for a moment. She wondered if it was her comment or the fact that Zero was in good health.

"Goodnight," Ichiru said as he walked away, item handed to her like he wanted.

She imagined he was going to go back to Maria, despite her urgings for him to sleep.

He'd turned back to her, and her throat unconsciously tightened when she saw a glimpse of his neck.

Kagome wanted his blood.

"Goodnight, Ichiru."


End file.
